Mueller Had Another Busy Week

His investigation continues to move quickly compared to past special investigations.

Rick Gates, an aide to former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy and making a false statement, according to a copy of the plea document obtained by CNN. This comes a day after special counsel Robert Mueller unsealed dozens of new charges against him. The move is seen as a sign Gates is cooperating with Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and another indication the prosecutor is acting aggressively, as we’ve noted in our ongoingeffort to track the pace and scope of his probe. In addition, a new figure in the case, European lawyer Alex van der Zwaan, pleaded guilty earlier this week to lying to prosecutors about a conversation he had with Gates. Gates had previously been indicted, so he was already included in the above chart, but van der Zwaan has been added.

Amelia Thomson-DeVeaux is a writer and reporter living in Chicago. @ameliatd